…and it’s not because I am a sloppy beet-eater. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a beet on purpose. I have beet juice on my face because I put it there. On purpose.
But before you write me off as being insane, let me back up a moment. Part of the whole “better environment” thing I’ve been blogging about includes taking into consideration what we’re exposing ourselves to by using the products we use, both for cleaning and as cosmetics. We’ve always been pretty mindful of what we use, and have, for the most part, purchased cruelty-free products. There are two issues with that:
1. Cruelty free doesn’t necessarily mean chemical-free.
2. Just because it doesn’t harm animals, doesn’t mean it’s not harming us.
We’d been focusing so much on what we were ingesting through our mouths that we neglected to think about what we were absorbing through our skin. The fact that our skin is the largest organ in our body and can absorb pretty much anything we slather on it should have made me consider it sooner.
Why now? Maybe it’s because now that I feel okay about my diet, I can focus on other things. Maybe it’s because that, back in the day, I remember slathering egg yolk on my face as a cleansing mask, and it worked well. (And throughout the years, I’ve heard of many homemade remedies that work.) Maybe it’s because, as of late, my skin has been a total mess. Whatever the reason, my next crusade is to “clean up” my cosmetics.
I’ve already been using jojoba oil, which I consider a miracle worker. It’s a great moisturizer, makeup remover, and replacement for Neosporin, as it has antibiotic qualities. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg . . .
Over the weekend, I devoured the book No More Dirty Looks after hearing about it in a video. This book cemented my feelings about cosmetics, and I highly recommend that you read it. Even the so-called “organic” and “natural” products I’ve been using have all sorts of unpronounceable chemicals that I don’t want getting into my body.
The good news is options are out there; those you can purchase, and those you can make. We plan to eventually be making many of the products we use, from bathroom cleaners to body lotions, but it will take a lot of time. In the meantime, No More Dirty Looks has great suggestions for easy options and “clean” products (when it comes to cosmetics).
Which brings me back to beets. One of the cheap and easy suggestions the book makes is to use beet juice as blush. Since the blush currently in my makeup kit is definitely full of crap I don’t want sitting on my face all day, I decided to give it a try. As I was at The Living Earth buying clean shampoo and conditioner, I picked up a bushel of beets. They apparently can stay good forever in the fridge.
This morning, instead of brushing on the blush, I sliced off a piece of beet, pressed my finger to it, and then rubbed it onto my face where blush would normally go.
You have to admit, it doesn’t look half-bad! And since beets are full of antioxidants, why not rub it on my skin every day? Talk about long-lasting, too. Have you ever had beet juice stain your fingers?
My next step: find some “clean” foundation and eye shadow, so I’m not just walking around with beet juice on my face. The book suggests using activated charcoal as a liner and/or dark shadow.
A great resource to find “clean” cosmetics and see how what you use rates: www.cosmeticdatabase.com . I’ve been using it for months now to make decisions on sunscreens and see how bad the products I use really are.
We LOVE that you have beets on your face. The picture is adorable, and we love that you read and enjoyed the book! xo
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It does look adorable – cute pic. i am off to buy myself a beet. would like to know how to put it on my face without putting my fingers in it. i.e a cleaner method.
thanks for the help
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just put on gloves so they dont stain ur finger tips
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@natasha:
What I do is slice off a piece with a knife and then use the juice that gets on the knife. I can’t avoid getting it on my fingers (not sure how applying it with a brush would work), but it’s a lot easier taking it off the knife than off the beet itself!
(I also recommend a serrated knife. It seems to yield more juice. Same with cutting it long-ways versus slicing it normally.)
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I use beet blush everyday and love it! I actually use the juice. You can either juice the beets with a juicer or boil them in some water and then pour the water in a container and keep it in the fridge. I apply it with a brush that I dip into the juice to avoid using my fingers. I’m actually looking into buying some containers that have the rollerball applicators and putting the juice in there for easier application 🙂
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And in case you prefer powder blush…
http://www.yumuniverse.com/2010/10/14/easy-diy-beet-powder-cream-blush/
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